Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 02/28/1995
Run Time: 38:14
Driver Not Included was a bit of a coming out for
hardcore outfit
Orange 9mm, with its punishing rhythms and flashes of
funk,
metal, and overall aggression. There is much for listeners to get excited about while listening to vocalist
Chaka Malik, guitarist
Chris Traynor, drummer
Matthew Cross, and bassist
Davide Gentile churn out their own extremely tight brand of East Coast
hardcore.
"High Speed Changer" is a real standout with its considerable momentum and forceful choruses. Another highlight is the sprawling closer
"Cutting and Draining," with its subtle nod to
Quicksand during the staccato guitar stabs and bass/drum turnarounds.
Malik struggles every now and then to find his intensity on tracks like
"Thickest Glass," but generally the vocalist and every member of
Orange 9mm are on pitch throughout
Driver Not Included. A very strong effort, this 1995
Elektra release deserves its own place among the list of important '90s
aggro/
punk/
hardcore releases.
~Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide